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WWI
Normal's Contributions
McLean County, Illinois
(Transcribed by: Teri Moncelle Colglazier)

In all the home activities of the war, the city of Normal and Normal township worked practically as one unit. In July, 1917, the work of the Normal auxiliary of the McLean County chapter of the American Red Cross expanded in such a way that it became advisable to reorganize and so on July 10, at a mass meeting held in the high school auditorium a constitution and by-laws was adopted creating the Normal branch, with the following officers: Chairman, B. C. Moore; vice chairman, Prof. J. Eose Colby; secretary, Miss Florence Smith; treasurer, D. G. Fitzgerrell. These officers appointed the following chairmen of standing committees: Headquarters, Mrs. D. C. Smith; membership, Mrs. H. W. Grote; publicity, C. A. Burner; hospital supply, Miss Annette B. Cooper. Later committees appointed were: Civilian relief, Mrs. W. H. Johnson; surgical dressings, Mrs. H. W. Grote; knitting, Mrs. John R. Dodge; junior Ked Cross, Miss Elsie Brusch. Dr. M. Wallis, who had entered the medical service, gave the use of his office free of all charge, and here the branch had its headquarters, sewing and knitting was done and officers and committees met, often in counsel with their board of directors, as follows: Mrs. J. R. Dodge, L. F. Shepard, Col. D. C. Smith, E. P. Mohr, President David Felmley, Miss Fannie Fell, Miss Julia Allen, Mrs. E. F. Coolidge, Mrs. L. H. Kerrick, O. E. Norris, Miss Lillian Barton, Dean O. L. Manchester, Prof. M. J. Holmes. In January, 1918, Miss Smith resigned as secretary and Miss Constance B. Coen was appointed in her place. And in December, 1918, Mrs. Roy Bates was elected to succeed Miss Coen, resigned, while as treasurer L. H. Kerrick succeeded D. G. Fitzgerrell. Walter Arbogast, chairman of the finance committee, had the following workers who stood back of the entertainments and other activities: L. H. Kerrick, Frank Schoenfeldt, George Rankin, J. W. Stubblefield, F. D. Barber and J. E. Richmond. At the time of the organization in July, 1917, the balance of funds carried over from the auxiliary was about $1,000, while in August, 1918, the total of the receipts had amounted to almost $13,000. The financial campaign was launched in the summer of 1917 with a concert by Miss Josephine Colehower, sponsored by C. A. Burner, from which $50 was realized, and a ball game between Normal and Bloomington business man netted $165. There were flower sales, concerts, box socials, and lectures. Early in 1918 a farm sale was planned, for which a special committee consisting of E. P. Mohr, Roy Bates and Charles Straub were named. Contributions came in from farmers of Normal township, and the sale was held February 25th in front of Schoenfeldt 's barn, John Raycraft donating his services as auctioneer. One pair of ducks was bid in three times by Col. Smith, for a total of $100, and then returned and sold again for $12. The sale netted nearly $1,000. Normal business men gave a minstrel show which cleared $300 for Red Cross. Byron Gregory donated a twin six Packard automobile, which was sold for a total of $2,500. In all these enterprises for raising money the publicity committee of C. A. Burner, Prof. Ridgley and Charles Straub did notable work. The membership committee carried forward several drives, which resulted in further revenue. This committee consisted of Mrs. Grote, Mrs. Frank Hanson, Miss Elsie Brusch, J. W. Arbogast and Mrs. Fred Johnson. At the organization they secured 488 members, which by January, 1918, had been increased to 1,117. There was formed a headquarters committee of which Mrs. D. C. Smith was chairman and most constant worker. She was assisted by Mrs. Frank Ward and Mrs. Allen Brown. Miss Annette B. Cooper bought supplies and Miss Flora Crum gave five afternoons a week to superintend the work. All churches had sewing groups, and most of the clubs. Many neighborhood groups and individuals assisted. Normal branch turned over to the McLean county chapter 7,500 finished, inspected and approved garments. The knitting department, under direction of Mrs. Amanda Dodge, furnished 1,600 knitted articles. Later the Normal university gave a room for making surgical dressings, and at first Bloomington women acted as instructors. Mrs. Grote later was appointed chairman and instructor. In all, 14,000 bandages were produced at this place. Mrs. W. H. Johnson organized and launched the great work of the civilian relief department, assisted by Mrs. J. W. Kasbeer and Mrs. George Rankin. Calls were made by these women on families of soldiers, and material help given when needed. This committee made and distributed comfort kits to the departing drafted men. They also assisted families in such matters as insurance, allotments, discharges and innumerable other questions. When the Junior Red Cross was organized throughout the country, Normal township joined with 100 per cent membership, under the leadership of Miss Elsie Brusch. During the time of the greatest monetary activity, D. G. Fitzgerrell gave his time unstintingly to the duties of treasurer. During the latter part of 1919 and '20, this work was in the hands of L. H. Kerrick. The taxing duties of secretary devolved upon Miss Florence Smith, Miss Constance Coen and Mrs. Roy Bates, each of whom in her regime had her own peculiar problems to meet. One of the great and wonderful campaigns of the war was the United War Work drive, combining the funds of the Y. M. and Y. W. C. A., the Knights of Columbus, the Jewish Relief, the Salvation Army and the Red Cross. In Normal township this mighty effort was captained by Palmer Q. Moore, and was carried through with eminent success the sum of $11,000 being raised. Normal township was proud of her record in all the liberty loan campaigns. The first was unorganized, and subscriptions were secured by the banks, $5,000 by the State Bank and $25,000 by the First National. D. G. Fitzgerrell, who was vice chairman for the county, had charge of the Normal township campaign. For the second loan, Walter D. Alexander acted as chairman, and $130,000 was raised in Normal township. In the third loan under the leadership of C. O. Hamilton, $208,000 was subscribed. In the fourth and fifth loans, Lester H. Martin was chairman, and the amounts raised were respectively $278,000 and $232,000. The entire subscriptions in Normal township for the five loans was $878,000, or four-fifths of a million dollars. The women had a notable part in the Liberty loan drives, beginning with the second. Mrs. Henry G. McCormick was chairman of the women 's committee for the second drive, and afterward served as county secretary and kept the records of the subscriptions in a very systematic and satisfactory manner. Normal university, as distinguished from the town people in general, had a large and commendable part in the war work. The student body and faculty, during the period of the war, gave much of their time and effort to the things which tended to bring victory to America. Dedicated with impressive services in May, 1920, there is a large boulder on the campus as a memorial to the fourteen university men who lost their lives in the war, as follows: William Auth, Balph Barren, C. Nolan Smith, Earl Balph Hart, Louis Eddy Davis, Bolf Leo McManus, Howard Henry Hardy, Doy William Skinner, Maurice James Peters, William Hoy Hinthorn, Allington Joyce Jolly, Robert Benjamin Huffman, Edmund White Sutherland, Arthur William Niedermeyer. The 14 gold stars are representative of 3 army men who were killed in action, 2 who were accidentally killed in the falling of planes, 1 who was drowned, and 8 who died from illness. The 675 stars on the service flag of Normal University represent the services of six faculty men who were in actual service, alumni of classes dating back from the class of 1917 to as early a date as 1880. There was one high school navy man of the class of 1880; one Normal Red Cross relief worker of the class of 1883. These stars represent the service of 455 men who served in the army, 81 who served in the navy, 20 who served the marine corps, 72 who were in the aviation, both military and naval, 14 women nurses, one Red Cross relief worker, and 32, the nature of whose service is not known. The record of the men in the aviation service shows that there were 14 flying men, 1 aerial photographer, and 3 balloon observation men. There were 81 students of the Normal University who served in the navy during the world war. Three of these were young women who enlisted as yeomen. The records of the students of I. S. N. U. who were in the service of the United States during the war, shows that they served everywhere, from Panama to Archangel, at the front and with the Army of Occupation, and in battles in France and in Italy. Several of the young women who went as nurses were under fire. Both men and women of the university received crosses and citations of many kinds. [McLean County, Illinois, in the World War, 1917-1918; by Edward E. Pierson & Jacob Louis Hasbrouck c 1921]

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